Driving assistance device

• US 8,751,128 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Morita, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T
• Application Number:
  US13/318,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 701/79, 701/70
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/22 for automatically guiding movable devices, e.g. stretchers or wheelchairs in a hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/40 for distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/041 having a specific drive-type
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/046 at least three driven wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1032 engaging an element of the drive or transmission, e.g. drive belt, electrodynamic brake
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1059 adjusting the height of the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/58 responsive to speed and another condition or to plural speed conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/025 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/05 characterised by a single rear wheel

Abstract

Disclosed is a driving assistance device capable of appropriately performing deceleration control in a moving vehicle having a variable wheelbase length. A driving assistance device 1 includes a wheelbase length detection sensor 11 which detects the wheelbase length of a moving vehicle X having a variable wheelbase length, a laser radar 10 which detects an obstacle in front of the moving vehicle X, and an ECU 15. In the driving assistance device 1, when an obstacle is detected by the laser radar 10, deceleration control of the moving vehicle X is performed depending on the wheelbase length detected by the wheelbase length detection sensor 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of the behavior of the moving vehicle X due to the wheelbase length when deceleration control is performed.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device which is mounted in a moving vehicle having a variable wheelbase length and assists driving of the moving vehicle, the driving assistance device comprising:

a wheelbase length information acquisition unit which acquires current wheelbase length information relating to the variable wheelbase length of the moving vehicle;

an obstacle information acquisition unit which acquires obstacle information relating to an obstacle around the moving vehicle; and

a deceleration control unit which performs deceleration control of the moving vehicle on the basis of the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle information acquisition unit,

wherein the deceleration control unit changes the deceleration control depending on the wheelbase length information acquired by the wheelbase length information acquisition unit;

wherein the deceleration control unit performs the deceleration control on the basis of a deceleration control map which includes a plurality of areas set around the moving vehicle and deceleration patterns set for the plurality of areas,

when an obstacle presence area, where the obstacle is present from among the plurality of areas, is detected on the basis of the obstacle information, the deceleration control is performed with the deceleration pattern in the detected obstacle presence area,

the plurality of areas in the deceleration control map are changed depending on the wheelbase length information,

the moving vehicle includes a mechanism which is deformed by varying a wheelbase length, and

the plurality of areas are constituted by dividing an obstacle detection zone which is an area on a route in which the moving vehicle is driven.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the obstacle information acquisition unit acquires obstacle information relating to an obstacle in front of the moving vehicle, and

the deceleration control unit changes at least one of a plurality of areas set in front of the moving vehicle in the deceleration control map so as to be expanded forward as the wheelbase length increases or so as to be expanded in a width direction as the wheelbase length decreases.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the deceleration control unit performs the deceleration control such that a speed of the moving vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 2,

wherein the deceleration control unit performs the deceleration control such that a speed of the moving vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed.